Jessica and her husband are the parents of three children and both work full-time: Jessica as a registered nurse at a local hospital and her husband as a professor at a local university.
Immediately after she was born, their second child Claire began having breathing difficulties. Doctors worked hard to stabilize her in the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit). It was soon discovered Claire had a serious heart condition. She was immediately flown to Vanderbilt University Medical Center for open heart surgery. During her stay at Vanderbilt, she was also diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder called Cri Du Chat Syndrome, which requires extensive medical care.
After a month in the hospital, Claire was able to come home and her family was able to receive TennCare Medicaid as a secondary insurance to their private health insurance. “Medicaid was lifesaving,” Jessica said. “It saved us from bankruptcy, provided her with the therapies doctors recommended and provided her with access to necessary medical equipment and further surgeries.” With the help of TennCare Medicaid, Claire was thriving.
But around Claire’s fourth birthday, Jessica was told that Claire would no longer qualify for TennCare Medicaid. Claire’s therapies had been so helpful, but at $600 per week her family couldn’t afford to continue the care without the help of TennCare Medicaid.
The only option left to get Claire back into therapy was to double-insure the family through both Jessica and her husband’s private health insurance. This means paying two insurance premiums each month, putting a significant strain on the family’s budget. Jessica hopes that Claire will be able to regain TennCare Medicaid coverage through the state’s new Katie Beckett waiver, which helps kids with high medical needs access necessary care.
Special thanks to the Tennessee Justice Center for their partnership.